Also called: NVH Engineer, Noise Control Engineer
Finds and reduces unwanted noise and vibration in cars, planes, machines and buildings for manufacturers and consulting firms.
You drive a test car over rough roads with microphones bolted inside to track down a rattle, or design barriers to keep highway noise out of neighborhoods. Car companies call this field 'NVH' (noise, vibration, harshness).
Based on mechanical engineers.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in mechanical engineering; Institute of Noise Control Engineering certification for some roles.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Mechanical Engineering, Acoustics, Aerospace Engineering.
Growing much faster than average (about 9% over 10 years). Growth is for mechanical engineers overall.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI helps find noise sources in test data; road tests, prototypes and design fixes stay hands-on.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Calculus, Auto shop or engineering.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2141.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.